Down goes Eastman, Down goes Eastman
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Well not down, but Howard Eastman — who’d never been knocked out in more than 40 fights — was finally stopped on Friday night in an IBF title eliminator against Edison Miranda . The young Colombian won a 7th round TKO, forcing the stoppage with a vicious combination.
It was a classic clash between youth and experience, with the raw talent of the youth ultimately prevailing. Eastman was extremely cautious in the first round while he established range and felt out Miranda’s ability, but the bout picked up from the 2nd and saw serious action in the fifth when Miranda first hurt Eastman with a punch behind the ear. The always game Eastman came back strong in the sixth, and when the bell rung an obviously dazed Miranda chicken-walked back to his corner.
While he appeared to recover between rounds, Miranda admitted after the fight that the damage Eastman inflicted in the 6th increased his urgency to knock out the veteran. More than two minutes into the 7th Miranda landed a charging, flush right that sent Eastman into a corner, and when Eastman failed to defend against the left hook and two uppercuts that immediately followed, the referee stopped the fight.
Though I almost always favor erring on the side of caution, I thought the stoppage — considering Eastman’s well-earned reputation for toughness — was a bit premature. Miranda, however, definitely looked impressive, if a little rough around the edges. He’ll need to improve his defense for his next bout. Now the mandatory challenger to IBF champ Arthur Abraham, Miranda improved his record to 26-0 (23); Eastman fell to 40-4 (34).
Apologies to anyone that checks the Late Rounds schedule to keep up with televised bouts. This one definitely should have been on the Watch List, but between the day job and March Madness it fell through the cracks. Luckily I managed to spot it on the schedule in time, though I saw almost none of Felix Cora Jr.’s win over Darnell Wilson in the cruiserweight undercard bout. (Those that think I got what I deserved for choosing basketball over boxing will be happy to know I watched my bracket crumble.)
